Pumpkin Penne Pasta

I love that this dish uses pumpkin and pureed cottage cheese to make the creamy sauce that brings everything together. The sage and nutmeg are also a delicious touch that stands out well against the pumpkin. Feel free to use whatever chicken or turkey sausage you can find or have on hand. You could also opt to leave it out to make it a bit lighter or if you’re not a meat eater. Plus, this dish packs a whopping 8 grams of fiber and 36 grams of protein per serving!

Ingredients

8 oz penne pasta *see note
2 tsp olive oil (or grapeseed oil)
1 medium-large onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. dried sage
3 links cooked chicken sausage **see note
1 cup low fat cottage cheese (1% milk fat)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup nonfat milk
pinch of nutmeg
10 oz torn spinach (or kale), thick stems removed
grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, optional

Directions

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook gently for about 10-15minutes, until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic, sage, and chicken sausage; continue to saute.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.

In a blender, combine combine pumpkin, cottage cheese, and milk. Blend until no lumps are present. Add to sausage mixture in skillet and continue to cook over low heat. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Drain pasta and return to pot over low heat. Add sausage mixture and baby spinach, and toss together. Cover for a few minutes to let the spinach wilt. Serve with parmesan cheese, if desired.

*Barilla PLUS is a good pasta choice as it has added protein in it. You could also use gluten-free if needed or I’ve even thought about trying it with some cooked spaghetti squash, though I haven’t done it yet.

** any type of chicken sausage that you like or can find should work sufficiently. I’ve used different kinds that I’ve bought from Trader Joe’s, CostCo and WalMart. Some brands are Al Fresco, Bistro Sensations and Johnsonville. I, personally, like to use the Sweet Apple ones but I’ve pretty much used them all and loved how they all tasted.

Nutritional Information

per serving, makes 4 servings

Calories		496.5
Total Fat		12.4 g
	Saturated Fat	3.2 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.4 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	2.3 g
Cholesterol		53.7 mg
Sodium		767.5 mg
Potassium		687.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate		61.3 g
	Dietary Fiber	8.1 g
	Sugars	14.2 g
Protein		36.3 g

Cottage Cheese Sundae

 

This is one of my new favorite go-to snacks. I cut up a bunch of veggies at once and keep them in the fridge for when I need them later, so it makes for a quick afternoon snack. Today I used carrots, broccoli and cauliflower but you can feel free to use any of your favorite veggies or whatever you have on hand (such as peas, green beans, celery, bell peppers, green onion, regular onion, baby corn, spinach, kale, etc.). I also sprinkled a tiny bit of cashew pieces on top (maybe 1 1/2 tsp. worth).

So, there’s really no need for instructions here, just take your favorite cottage cheese (I use Dean’s probiotic) and some of your favorite assorted veggies and layer them in any available, snack-size dish, top with whatever seasonings you see fit (salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash, etc.) and enjoy!

 

 

Looks good, right?! Now…

go cut up a bunch of veggies so you can quickly assemble this healthy snack during the week!

Sweet Potato Cannelloni

I came across a recipe today that I am super excited to make. I wanted to make it with my additions first and then post the recipe later to let you know how it turned out but I had to share it as soon as possible so you could have enough time to prepare it for dinner tonight, too! It’s low-calorie, low-fat and sounds delicious. What a great alternative to have in place of noodles! I plan on adding some chopped kale (about a cup or two), chopped onion (1/2 cup or so), garlic (1 Tbsp. minced) and nutritional yeast (1/4 cup), but if you don’t want to add those or don’t have them, don’t worry about it, I just like to add the things that I love! I figured out the nutritional information for this based on the original recipe (and 8 servings) so keep that in mind of you add anything extra like I do! Click HERE for the recipe (thanks Martha Stewart)!

	Nutrition Facts   8 Servings Amount Per Serving   Calories 140.7   Total Fat 7.4 g   Saturated Fat 2.0 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 3.5 g   Monounsaturated Fat 1.5 g   Cholesterol 6.4 mg   Sodium 306.2 mg   Potassium 267.5 mg   Total Carbohydrate 12.2 g   Dietary Fiber 2.1 g   Sugars 4.9 g   Protein 7.2 g   Vitamin A 53.6 %   Vitamin B-12 3.9 %   Vitamin B-6 10.9 %   Vitamin C 12.5 %   Vitamin D 0.0 %   Vitamin E 3.6 %   Calcium 13.1 %   Copper 12.3 %   Folate 3.0 %   Iron 4.1 %   Magnesium 4.8 %   Manganese 19.9 %   Niacin 5.1 %   Pantothenic Acid     8.8 %   Phosphorus     14.1 %   Riboflavin 8.0 %   Selenium 6.3 %   Thiamin 5.8 %   Zinc 4.6 %